


Anything?

by dontbecooler



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Asexual Sherlock, F/M, Sherlock Being Sherlock, but also he isn't
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-13
Updated: 2014-12-06
Packaged: 2018-01-08 13:32:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 17,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1133234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dontbecooler/pseuds/dontbecooler
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Try not to kill him," John pleads. "He can be a bit to handle sometimes but he's died on me once and I don't need that again..."</p><p>Sherlock Holmes is back, and since John decided he shouldn't leave him out in the cold, he would live back in 221b.</p><p>There's only one problem. Luca Frost.</p><p>John's best friend from when he was a kid thought it would be best if John didn't sell off 221b, and asked if she could live there.</p><p>Which she happens to be doing when Sherlock comes back.</p><p>This probably won't end well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Ayy another story this is cool. Enjoy and also I'm sorry if my writing of Sherlock isn't as good as some people's *cough* twistedthicket1 go check out her work it's perfect *cough*
> 
> KUDOS AND COMMENT FOR A GOLDEN SHERLOCK
> 
> Also I accept prompts because they would be good to contemplate things. Songs/words/pairings, anything really, would be welcomed and decided upon, whether they be one shots or not depends xx

Chapter One: Meeting

It had been a terrible day at work. There was one dog with acute gastritis, vomit all over the floor, so it had to be sedated just so the vomiting would stop. Then there was the litter of kittens that all had to be put down because no one would take them.

Luca sighed as she made her way up to 221b. Her hair was falling out of the pony tail she had done up at lunch and she was sick of seeing the dark blonde strands at the corner of her vision. A shower was very much anticipated. 

“Evening Luca!” called Mrs. Hudson from below, and Luca smiled.  
“Good evening Mrs. Hudson,” she replied, pausing on the top step in case the land lady replied.  
“I made you dinner dear, it’s sitting in the microwave, but I did it to be nice not because I’m your housekeeper!” came the long winded reply and Luca grinned. This woman was a life saver.

“Thank you very much,” Luca called, and she bid Mrs. Hudson goodnight.  
She went and unlocked the front door, kicking it open with one foot casually. She put down her bags and tidied all the veterinary books she studied every night. Her stomach growled, and she went to the microwave, opening it up breathing in the delicious Spaghetti Bolognese. 

“Thank you Mrs. Hudson,” she murmured to herself, taking out the plate and cursing as it was still hot. She ate though the meal quickly, setting the plate in the sink when she was done. It was when she heard a knock on the door that she ended up not starting to undress for her shower. Who in the world would it be at ten o’clock at night?

Luca pulled the door open, slowly in case it was a murderer. She grinned when she saw John standing in the doorway, and she went to hug him but his facial expression told her that now was not the time.  
It was then the tall man standing next to John cleared his throat.  
Luca froze. “Now who is this?” Luca asked, a small feeling of apprehension in her gut. 

The stranger seemed to force a smile. Before he could speak John cut in.  
“Now before you jump to any conclusions he needs a place to stay,” John explained slowly. His face showed that he was still slightly annoyed, but his eyes pleaded with Luca.  
She raised her eyebrows in query, and the dark haired man spoke.

“Sherlock Holmes,” was all he said.  
The pieces connected in Luca’s mind and she took a deep breath.  
“Sherlock Holmes,” she repeated, slowly, glaring at him. “You’re not dead,” she spat, seriously considering shutting the door on the liar’s face. John was there, so she didn’t.  
Sherlock, knowing a lot about self preservation, took a small step back.  
John stepped in between the two of them, and he held up his hands.

“I’m annoyed too,” he said to Luca, who happened to be trying very hard not to clock Sherlock across the face right now, “but you need to let him stay here.”  
She beckoned for John to come inside, and when he was, she shut the door right on Sherlock’s face.  
Luca gaped at him. “He let you grieve for two years, John, and you’re just going to let him live with me?!” The situation was becoming more absurd by the second.

“I haven’t forgiven him, but I can’t let him not stay. He’s still my fri-“ John tried to explain but the vet cut over him.  
“Friends, do not, pretend to die. For whatever sick reason he did it, it’s not what friends do.” She growled.  
John shook his head. “I need to get back to work; I need you to do this for me.”  
Luca frowned.  
“I won’t,” she shook her head and crossed her arms. “I refuse to.”

“I don’t want him living anywhere else. He is kind of volatile, and I don’t want him getting murdered by someone because he’s so, difficult,” John explained.  
Luca scoffed. “And you want him to live with me?” she asked in disbelief.  
“Look, Luca, please.”  
Luca shook her head. “I haven’t met the man before, and I don’t want to. I don’t need to associate with people who kill themselves but not really, especially him, because I saw what it did to you, John, and I seriously want to punch him.” She spoke quickly, in a low tone, seeing as the subject was standing right outside the door.

“I already have,” John said, lips twitching slightly. “So will you do it?” he asked.  
“No,” Luca said, voice going up an octave.  
John sighed. “This is me cashing in that favor then.”  
Luca opened her mouth to protest, but closed it when, knowing that this was non-negotiable. It obvious meant a lot to him if he gave Sherlock this one favor. John wouldn’t forgive her then if she didn’t, and neither would she if she didn't give it to John.  
She huffed, but nodded grudgingly.

She opened the door roughly and glared at Sherlock.  
“I will not be a nuisance I swear,” he said, though it sounded forced, like John had asked him to say that.  
“Don’t talk right now,” Luca snapped, and Sherlock fell quiet.  
“Get inside and don’t touch anything yet!” Luca ordered as he brushed past her.

John made his way out the flat door, leaning into Luca’s ear as he passed.  
"Try not to kill him," John pleads. "He can be a bit to handle sometimes but he's died on me once and I don't need that again..."

Once John had left she turned abruptly to face the newcomer. “If you so much as toe the line that I have just created, you are gone, do you understand?”  
Sherlock rolled his eyes, his soft expression hardening now that John was out of the room. “I don’t think you could have made it anymore clear,” he drawled.  
Luca smiled poison at him. “Good. Make yourself at home,” she said, sickly sweet kindness dripping off every word.

And with that she left the room, in the mood for a very long shower.


	2. Learning

Steam floated off Luca’s shoulders as she got out of the shower. It has nice for her, to wash the stink of dog off her and clean off the worries that had burdened her as she had finished dinner.  
Sherlock Holmes. Luca huffed as she wrapped a towel around her stomach. John had told her a lot when she had caught him half dead and drunk on her doorstep. She had wondered what would drive such a proud man to such extremes, but when John had awoken he had told her.

Sherlock jumped. Made him watch. He couldn’t get there, someone had knocked him down. How he now didn’t have a job because Sherlock’s job was his own.  
Luca had been shocked by the news, having heard nothing from her childhood best friend since he had gone to Afghanistan.   
So have had her long lost friend drop in on her, literally, she thought she had a right to be more than a little annoyed at the consulting detective. 

She walked to her room, cautious not to walk in direct line of Sherlock’s line of sight. She wondered what he had been doing. She dressed in her pajamas, baggy long pants, and a plain black singlet that hugged her body. She walked into the lounge still toweling off her hair. Sherlock was laid along the big couch. Luca stopped right by his head, and she crossed her arms over her chest. 

Sherlock opened his eyes, icy eyes trained on her face.  
“You obviously have something to say,” he said matter-of-factly.  
Luca nodded tersely.  
“You’ve got a lot of nerve coming here,” Luca said in a quietly dangerous voice.  
Sherlock rolled his eyes.

“It doesn’t take nerve to enter my old home. Now that I think of it, it wasn’t even my idea, it was John’s, and he was the one to ask you. So, I didn’t use any nerve at all, your high school sweet heart did.”  
Luca’s eyes widened. “We had sex once.” She said flatly.  
“Oh but we both know you broke it off before it got serious. Poor John wanted more, but you didn’t want a serious relationship.”

Luca clenched her jaw. “Stop your ridiculous assumptions.”  
“But are they really assumptions?” Sherlock raised an eyebrow.  
Luca sighed. “Even if they were true,” she pulled up a lip as Sherlock smirked, “How in anyway would you have come to those conclusions.”

“It’s obvious isn’t it?” Sherlock sat up suddenly. “The way he leant into your ear on the way out, he was comfortable with the closeness, as were you, suggesting close friends at most, but then unconsciously he gripped your arm for a fraction too long.”  
“He didn’t grip my arm,” Luca interrupted.  
“Exactly,” Sherlock replied quickly. “You didn’t notice him gripping your arm, so he touched you in rather close way, but you didn’t see it. He is more aware of you then you are of him.”

“But he’s with Mary,” Luca stated, beginning to become slightly uncomfortable.  
Sherlock sighed as if he was sick of questions. “Yes, so that means he doesn’t feel like that now, the only possible answer being is that it is an old feeling. The conclusion being that you have been in a relationship, because you’re obviously old friends, and all old friends have tried a relationship before, and that John is more aware of you than you of him, it is obvious that the relationship you had stopped because you don’t have serious relationships.”

Luca raised an eyebrow. “And you know that information how?”  
Sherlock looked sick of explaining himself, as if it was the most plain answer. “You have no pictures or objects that suggest an on going relationship, and you have the kind of attitude and job that wouldn’t allow for a serious connection. Another reason is your fingernails are kept shorter than the usual length, one because you are not trying to impress anyone, and two because it makes it easier to touch yourself if the nights get extremely lonely.”  
Luca was about to protest, but Sherlock kept talking. 

“So overall, all of this shows that you and John were dating but you broke it off because seriousness is not what you do, and John still wanted a relationship, keeping the friendship instead of nothing at all.” Sherlock did a quick smile, not like a normal smile but one that showed he was pleased with himself.  
Luca raised her eyebrows at this.

“But how did you know we were dating in high school then?” It was the final detail that he hadn’t explained.  
Sherlock’s expression dropped only slightly. “John told me that.”  
Luca laughed.   
“So not perfect at finding things out then...”  
Sherlock looked like he was going to defend himself, but Luca held up a hand, finally remembering why she had spoke to her guest in the first place.

“But you have taken this conversation completely off topic. I expect you to have apologized to John for being dead but not really dead.” Luca snapped, getting over her shock from his revelations.  
“I tried, but John was not so forgiving. He said something about me being someone who fornicates with mothers and said he would get me a place to stay but that is how far his friendliness would venture.”

Luca flicked a bit of hair out of her eyes. “Seems valid. Do you not agree?”  
Sherlock nodded in a forlorn fashion. He lay slowly back onto the couch. “I think my actions caused a great deal of pain for a friend that I did not want to hurt, and I have realized it might not have been the best course of action.”  
He closed his eyes and sighed. His whole demeanor was a polar opposite to his almost excited behavior before.

Luca smiled grimly. It was an almost small victory to see a human emotion out of him. Sherlock had fallen silent, with his hands placed under his chin in a twisted version of prayer.   
Deciding that it was time for bed, Luca nodded in Sherlock’s direction, “Well I’m going to bed,” she muttered.

As she walked away she strained to see if he would reply, but he gave none.


	3. Caring

Luca went to bed with an uneasy feeling in her gut. Sherlock hadn’t even begun settling into John’s old room, and he seemed content to sit down in the lounge for God knows how long.  
Still, though a small grey cloud hung over her head, as soon as she had warmed up her bed and settled in, her eyes drooped closed and she fell into a sound sleep.

Her beeping alarm at six thirty woke her up in the next morning. She groaned, trying so hard to find the will to get up, and she almost did, but eventually it was the second alarm she always set that made her sigh and literally roll out of bed. She flopped onto the floor with a huff, pulling the hair out of her eyes as she crawled to the other side of the room. Deciding it was too much to crawl around everywhere, she got to her feet.

It didn’t take long for her to brush her hair and put on the minuscule amount of make-up, mascara and concealer, so she got into her plain work clothes and went downstairs to make breakfast. As she got downstairs she remembered about her new flat mate, and she sighed as the memories came back to her. She went around into the kitchen and didn’t really react to Sherlock sitting at the table. To her he seemed like the early riser. 

“Morning,” she said in a casual fashion, and Sherlock nodded slightly in her direction. She was too tired to notice the reaction, or lack thereof, and she busied herself in making herself some muesli and yogurt to eat. She set the bowl on the table, and returned to the jug to boil some water.  
Sherlock spoke behind her, “Two sugars,” he told her.  
“What?” Luca asked, getting the lemon juice out of the fridge.

She turned to face him, unscrewing the cap of the bottle.  
Sherlock made a face. “You seemed like the kind of person who would make tea with breakfast, obviously not, but I like mine with no milk but two sugars thanks.” He gave her another one of those smiles again, and she rolled her eyes.

“Of course, I’d love to make you a drink,” she said sarcastically, and Sherlock smirked.  
She ate some of her breakfast while she waited for the water to boil, and she watched Sherlock as she did.  
He was reading the newspaper, frowning a lot of the time and sometimes muttering to himself. He was intently examining every page, but he flicked his eyes up to Luca’s, as if he felt her gaze on him.

Luca met his gaze flatly, turning away as the jug finished, putting the bowl on the table to fill up two mugs on the bench.  
She put a tea bag in one of them, seriously tempted to spit in it, but decided she couldn’t really be bothered at that time in the morning. She roughly put in two sugar cubes, and then she trod over to where Sherlock was seated, leaving the spoon in so he had to stir it himself.

She made her own lemon drink, sipping it cautiously as she also finished breakfast.  
As she put her empty bowl in the dishwasher, she noticed that there were no more dishes than there were last night.  
“Have you eaten anything since you got here Sherlock?” She asked, wrapping her hands around the mug after she closed the dishwasher door.

The flat mate shook his head. “I haven’t been hungry, so I have not felt the need.”  
Luca frowned; her compassion making her feel worried for him, to her annoyance. “Well are you planning on eating something?” she snapped, in a soft manner.  
Sherlock sighed. “If I say yes will you stop talking?”  
Luca’s eyebrows drew together. “I don’t actually want you starving on me,” she said exasperatedly.  
“I wouldn’t be so dense,” Sherlock quipped back, putting down the newspaper, to look flatly at her.

“So are you going to eat something?” she repeated, ignoring his remarks.  
“Yes,” he said in a monotonous tone, opening the paper again.  
Luca sighed. “I am not having you live here, for you to just drop dead on the floor,” she growled at him, and Sherlock sighed too.

He got up in one languid move, proceeding forward to the food cabinet, and he opened a can of peaches, walking over to the silverware draw and getting a fork. He pointedly stuck a slice and slowly brought it to his lips while looking in Luca’s eyes, who glared at his actions with light malice.  
She smiled sweetly at him for moment, but she noticed a dark shadow under the tall man’s eyes, and Sherlock rolled his eyes as she spoke. “Did you sleep at all last night?” she inquired.

“Sporadically,” he responded, tentatively piercing another slice of the orange fruit and chewing on it.  
“In a bed or on the couch?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.  
Sherlock made a noise in the back of his throat. “On the couch. Will you please stop interrogating me? You’re job is to care for animals, not for me, and simply put, you are wasting time asking me needless questions.”

Luca scoffed. “No need to get defensive, I just don’t want to find your dead body one day when I come home from work,” she said again, feeling the intense urge to roll her eyes at Sherlock’s expression of distaste.  
“As you’ve said already, and since repeating things is a waste of breath, I feel it is pointless for me to say that I wouldn’t let myself deteriorate that much. My mind is the more important thing, and my body is like a vessel. I do not maintain it as I do my mind, but that is how I exist. ”

He seemed to end the conversation there, returning to the table and opening the paper again. Luca thought it a small victory the he also brought the can of peaches to the table also, occasionally picking one up and eating one as she busied herself in tidying the kitchen and putting the dishwasher on.  
Noticing the time, she started.

“Fuck,” she whispered, “I’m going to be late for work!” She ran around the flat, picking up her things and putting on her coat and fumbling with the door.  
Just as she got it open she heard an overly cheery voice call after her.

“Have a splendid day at work!”


	4. Understanding

Luca got to work five minutes late, and though she got a couple of looks from her workmates at her ruffled appearances that is all the hassle she got. Luckily no patients had come in, so she had time to sort out her consultation room. The amount of injured or ill animals booked in for appointments was fairly lower than average, so Luca had a lot of time to sit around and chat with her colleagues.

“Ugh so let me tell you about this new guy who’s staying with me,” Luca said to start off the conversation.  
Zara, her intern-assistant, wolf-whistled.  
“Oh god no it’s definitely not whistle worthy I tell you,” came the quick reply. “He is bloody crazy and I swear he never eats or sleeps.”

“Maybe he’s a vampire!” Came a call from the reception desk, and it made Luca chuckle.  
“Most probably,” she muttered to herself as she got up from the back room to prepare for her next patient, a highly sick budgie.   
“Oh joy,” she sighed, picking up her clipboard.

Work went along slowly for the first time in a long time, and it was tiring and boring, in the way that if you sleep for a long time you feel more tired. It was good to lock up the clinic, and to add to an alright day and make it worse, it started raining on her way home from the tube.  
Luca cursed as she unlocked the door to 221b but she only ended up locking it instead, so when she pushed her shoulder against it roughly she rebounded back.

She tsked, unlocking it and shoving it open. She dropped her bags on the floor unceremoniously, and took of her wet coat, ruffling her wet hair so it didn’t stick to her head in the gross way wet hair does.  
As she stopped to take a breath, she noticed that Sherlock was not in the main room.  
“Oi Sherlock are you home?!” she yelled out, walking into the kitchen to make a warm lemon drink.

Sherlock was sitting at the kitchen table, tapping a random quick beat on the table with his slender fingers.  
“No need to yell I am alive,” he said in an irritated tone.  
Luca rolled her eyes. “So pleasant, you.” She retorted tiredly, going straight to the pots and pans, deciding on macaroni and cheese for dinner.

“Do you want anything?” she asked, flicking the oven top on.  
“Oh I ordered Chinese,” came the reply, and Luca raised her eyebrows.  
“Did you order any for me?” Luca queried cautiously, and Sherlock scoffed behind her.  
“What kind of person do you take me for? I do not completely disregard one person who is kind enough to let me into their home,” he said with contempt.

Luca paused at his tone, as if he was not used to kindness directed at him. She dismissed it as Sherlock spoke quickly, to rid the air of his self-doubting statement.  
“I did not know what you like, so I ordered a small bit of a lot, if that is alright,” he said, looking intently at the wall behind Luca’s head.

Luca guessed that it wasn’t Sherlock’s forte, this conscientious thing. She smiled genuinely at him and Sherlock looked away.   
“So how long until it gets here?” Luca asked quickly, deciding that she could talk the small amount of tension.  
“Half an hour, at the least,” came Sherlock’s short reply, and Luca took that as her leave.

“Well, alrighty then,” she said quickly, and she put the pans away, removing herself from the room, and picking up one of her books off the table on her way out.   
She went straight to the main armchair, setting herself up so that she was across it with her legs hanging off the sides and her head on the other.

She had just begun to go into full reading mode when she heard the doorbell ring. She huffed, thinking about letting Sherlock do it, but she put her book on the table, darting into the kitchen to get her wallet, and she felt Sherlock’s gaze on her. As she opened the front door to get to the landing, and she heard him get up behind her, but she didn’t know what he was up to.  
She barely managed to fit all of the bags in her arms, so she paid the man first and he kindly stacked them up for her.

“Sherlock!” she cried out, almost tripping over the first step in the stairwell, “Come bloody help carry your stupid Chinese food up to the flat or I swear to God-!”  
The bag right in front of her face disappeared, and she found herself eye to crotch with Sherlock. Her yelling immediately cut off, and she went quiet, as he plucked more of the food out of her arms.  
She pursed her lips, wondering if he stopped where he did on purpose.

They got upstairs easily and they put all the food on the bench. Sherlock turned to her with a small smile playing on his lips. In return Luca curled up hers. “I have absolutely no, money in my wallet now, so perhaps you should have bought more maybe, just so I had to give him my watch and jewelry too.”

Sherlock rolled his eyes. “Chinese food would never cost so much that you would give away gold, but to reply to your unnecessary sarcasm, I was only making sure we wouldn’t have to buy any more food for a little while.”  
“You mean for the whole year!” Luca snapped. “Now I have to wait until payday next week, next week, before I have money in my wallet.”

Sherlock got himself a plate and began piling it up with all the odds and ends that he hadn’t paid for, Luca noticed.  
“You could at least pay me back half,” Luca told him, copying him. She picked through to find the wontons and sweet n’ sour sauce, noodles, dim sum and a dumpling. 

“I will pay for all the rent instead, as Mrs. Hudson owes me a favor and I don’t happen to have a job at the moment,” Sherlock told her, and Luca raised her eyebrows. It was almost an unfair deal, but Luca would trade rent for multiple dinners any day.  
“Um yes,” Luca said, stabbing her dumpling and bit it in half, holding out her free hand.  
Sherlock eyed it, before sighing and taking it.

They shook, and Luca smiled.  
“Deal.”


	5. Bickering

They finished dinner in silence, but Sherlock was done earlier, as he had eaten less food than Luca, and also he left her to do the dishes and put the rubbish in the bin.  
So though Luca thought it slightly unfair she let him leave, because now she wasn’t really paying her dues for the flat anymore, she guessed it was fair that she did the dishes instead.

She felt a wave of contentedness wash over her as she remembered that it was her days off now until Monday. She smiled to herself, three days, sleeping in and reading and relaxing.  
At the thought of reading, she almost skipped into the lounge excited to begin her book again. She froze in the entrance way. Sherlock was in her seat.

She cleared her throat, and Sherlock looked up at her.  
“Can I help you?” Sherlock asked, a small smirk on his lips. He knew exactly what he had done.   
“You’re in my seat.”   
“You were not sitting in it,” Sherlock looked thoroughly pleased with himself.

“I was planning to,” came Luca’s retort.  
“And how was I to know that?” he asked, setting down his paper to look at her.  
Luca took a breath. “Well, my book was lying open on the table beside it, saying that either I am a terrible book owner or I was going to return to it soon, and since I am not the type to disrespect a book, it is the other option,” she opted the tone Sherlock had used when first talking to her, and she glared at his raised eyebrow.

“I am surprised, good on you for getting that far with your first easy deduction, and though I praise you, this does not make me want to leave my seat.”  
Luca pursed her lips. “I was there first,” she said, somewhat childishly.  
“If you think technically about it, I was here first, seeing as I lived here before you,” Sherlock smiled at her, but it definitely genuine. It showed Luca how bored Sherlock was with her presence, it seemed.

Luca scoffed and rolled her eyes, noticing how much that was happening since this strange man made his appearance.  
“Well, if you think of it properly, I was here, in this flat, on that chair, when you were supposed to be dead, when I was making sure that John wasn’t going to have a break down,” she smiled at Sherlock, but she dropped it off her face quickly, to show him that she wasn’t letting that fact disappear from view any time soon.

Sherlock looked at her flatly, though his bright blue eyes flashed.  
“Yes well, I am in the seat now, so if you would stop talking and being so immature, I’m sure you could sit at that dreadful piano and read there,” he smirked as he watched her sputter at his comment.  
“That piano is an antique, and suits this flat perfectly thank you very much,” Luca retorted, looking at the faded wood of the little piano she had bought; she played when she was bored.

“I bet you can’t even play,” Sherlock baited, and he felt a small sort of pleasure at the way her whole demeanor became defensive. Gone was the almost happy situation they had created at dinner, as Luca crossed her arms over her chest and gaped at him, in a defensive but angry gesture.  
“I can play that you insolent fuck,” she growled, taking a step forward. When she saw that Sherlock was barely hiding his extremely amused expression, she took a deep breath to calm down.

“But enough of your subject changing. I want my seat back.”  
Sherlock raised an eyebrow at how well Luca regained her calm, but he tucked it away in his mind for later thought on, as he needed to keep this not-as-boring-as-usual woman talking.  
“It’s a shame that you won’t get it back, because, if you can’t see, I am in the seat,” Sherlock smiled at her, again, enjoying how he was rubbing her the wrong way.

“I want it back, Sherlock, and it’s my flat. Give me the seat back,” Luca said, her calm dissipating as Sherlock shook his head.  
“Technically its Mrs. Hudson’s flat,” he replied plainly, and he barely contained a laugh as he realized where this conversation was going. A proper, childish argument. He decided to play along, since this was less boring than everything else that had happened today.

“Get out of the seat Sherlock,” Luca hissed, walking over so she stood over him.  
“I’m in the seat,” he retaliated, feeling a sort of glee rise in his chest at how far this woman was planning to go. At this recognition, Sherlock mentally slapped himself. He did not feel this kind of stuff. Reluctantly, he pushed the feelings down.  
“Get out of the seat Sherlock,” Luca repeated, getting slightly more annoyed each time Sherlock didn’t do as he was told.

“I am in the seat.”  
“Get out of the seat Sherl-“  
“I’m in the seat.”  
“Get out of the se-“  
“I’m in the seat.”

Luca exhaled suddenly, not enjoying being interrupted by the detective.  
Sherlock cocked his head, wondering what she was going to do.  
She spun around once on the spot, hands on her hips. In that spin, she decided.  
“You leave me no choice. Plan B, my dear Holmes,” she grinned wickedly at him, and Sherlock felt victorious when she picked up the book and made as if she was turning away.

That feeling of triumph lasted only a second, as Luca threw herself suddenly into Sherlock’s lap. Sherlock went to push her off, but swung around to her usual position, casually tossing her arm over his shoulder in a quick move. If Sherlock was going to push her off, she would bring him down with her.  
Sherlock cussed internally. There was a fiery competitiveness in this lady. He sunk into the chair, not entirely comfortable with the situation anymore, as he was not in control.

Luca found her page, smirking to herself as she wriggled in Sherlock’s lap, trying to become more comfortable.  
Sherlock sighed, having no place to put his hands. He settled them on Luca’s knees, as she surely couldn’t complain about personal space.  
They settled like that, Luca subconsciously playing with Sherlock’s hair, her elbow balancing on Sherlock’s shoulder as she tugged her fingers through his curls.

He went to tell her to stop, but he realized that she did not know she was doing it; she was too absorbed in her book. It seemed to be an involuntary action. So he didn’t tell her. Also, it had been a while since he had been touched and cuddled, but he wouldn’t let himself admit that. Nor was he planning to.  
So he left it, letting his head fall back onto the back of the couch. When Luca took her hand away to turn the page, Sherlock wanted it back, as it was strangely comforting.

He didn’t understand what this woman was doing to him, because he had never let anyone so close so quickly, and now it seemed he was comfortable with it, and he was mentally pleading for her touch again. This was so out of his character, and he wanted to snap out of it. He was about to force the relaxed form off of him, but her hand went back to his scalp, tugging lightly. Sherlock ended up staying quiet.

He found himself dozing, which was definitely not what he did, until he registered a soft snore coming from his lap. Luca had fallen asleep, her book covering her face in a comical way.  
In a total out of character way, Sherlock made a small dog ear on the page she was on, placing it on the table lightly, quietly.

He maneuvered himself, lifting the light frame off of him. He put her back on the larger couch, refusing to put a blanket over her, though he thought of it.  
Sherlock hadn’t slept for fifty two hours, and he was barely keeping himself from curling up on the floor and sleeping there.

Instead, he went upstairs to bed, his head hitting the pillow for a second before he was out of it.


	6. Compromising

Luca opened her eyes groggily, stretching out the knots with a gurgled noise that can only come from waking up naturally. She freezes, not understanding why she wasn’t in her own bed for a second. Then she remembers, sitting on Sherlock’s lap, and she realizes that she had pet him. She hadn’t noticed it while she was reading, but now that the soft curls were not there; her fingers ached for the return of their texture.

Luca stood suddenly, throwing off the blanket the she didn’t put on herself. Nope, nope, nope. This was not happening. She shook her head slowly, convincing herself that it was a dream. Somehow, she did, even though the fact that she was still in the same clothes from yesterday screamed otherwise. Luca sighed, rubbing her face. Even if it was true, it didn’t mean anything. Nothing, it meant nothing at all.

Suddenly, her clothes were too hot, and she needed to be wearing something different. She quickly made her way to her room, pausing only for a second at her closed door. She flung it open, stopping dead. Sherlock was splayed across her bed, still asleep, despite that Luca had thrown the door open with force.  
Luca gaped. After watching Sherlock’s sleeping form for too long, she forced herself to close her mouth. Sherlock seemed so much younger, sleep making his almost permanent scowl disappear.

But this was not why Luca was so shocked.  
It was the plain fact that he was on her bed. Hers. It was some unspoken rule, quite an obvious one actually; do not sleep in other people’s beds. Sherlock had burnt that rule to the ground it seemed.  
Luca decided it was time for action.

Without hesitation, she crossed the room, so she was right by Sherlock’s form. “Nope,” she growled, grabbing his wrist and pulling him off the bed, taking some of the sheets with him. Sherlock groaned, hitting the floor heavily. As soon as his mind began whirring, he was up instantly, unsure why he stood up facing such a furious flat mate.  
She was hastily pushing him out of his room.   
“Nope, out Sherlock, nope out,” she kept repeating, getting more and more irritated just as Sherlock dug his heels in.

“What is the meaning of this?” Sherlock asked, feeling Luca slam into his back. He turned around and looked down at the extremely frustrated face of his flat mate.  
Luca smiled venomously. Sherlock realized that the girl form yesterday had picked up her skirts and run off.  
“There are some social things, utterly wrong with you, it seems,” she snarled, pushing against his chest in an attempt to get him out of her room.

Sherlock was not going to leave his room. “I fell asleep,” he stated, mind still slower than usual with the fact he had just got abruptly woken out of deep slumber.  
Luca gave out a strained sigh, giving up her pushing and pinching the bridge of her nose.  
“Right, you don’t seem to understand, but you do not sleep in other people’s rooms. It is weird, and plain creepy if you ask me,” she took a breath, “so if you get out of my room now, I might be inclined to forget about this.”

Sherlock rolled his eyes. “I was tired; this room was closer, and quite frankly, I can’t sleep in John’s bed. It’s too firm.” He was about to get out, but he decided to act like a child, just like yesterday. Maybe then the kinder version of Luca would come back. “And technically, this is my room.”  
Luca’s eyes flashed. “I can’t sleep on John’s bed either, and this isn’t your room.”

“It is.”  
“It isn’t.”  
“It is.”  
“It isn’t”

As Sherlock was about to reply, Luca cut him off. “Sleep on the couch for all I care, Sherlock; you’re not staying in my room.”  
Sherlock made a face. “I have before, and I find when I sleep that I do so better in this bed.”  
“Deal with it,” Luca said roughly.  
Sherlock raised an eyebrow, deciding to play on her feelings. He pouted only slightly, sniffing in a disdained way, not meeting Luca’s gaze on purpose. Luca frowned, wondering if she had actually offended him. He seemed like he was, slightly.

Sherlock made a show of trying to meet Luca’s gaze but not. Eventually, he did, taking a deliberate breath before saying a soft, “Please.”  
Luca’s eyes widened. Sherlock seemed like the kind of person who would never say that word.  
Sherlock rushed out the words after in an intentional act of being flustered. “I don’t sleep much anyway, and it’s not like I would cross any lines.”

Luca let out a slow breath, her gut saying not to trust this suddenly very open man. But her heart said otherwise, tugging towards his light eyes and bow-lips that were turned down.  
She huffed, roughly pushing past him to go to the kitchen. She didn’t see his dark smirk as he knew he had won this confrontation.

Luca went through the drawers in the kitchen, searching quickly for the black tape. She grabbed it, stomping her way back up the stairs, glaring at Sherlock’s amused smirk. She had already decided, so she couldn’t stop now. She pulled the rest of the sheets off. She climbed onto the bed finding the approximate middle. Sticking the tape roughly to it, she brought it down so there was a dark line right through the middle of the queen bed. Luckily it happened to be large, or she wouldn’t have agreed, no matter how many tears the insistent git cried.

She turned to him, scowling at him. She pointed to the right side of the bed, talking slowly so Sherlock wouldn’t miss any of what she said. Sherlock rolled his eyes at the act. He never missed anything.  
“This is your side of the bed,” she tapped the black line, “and if you cross this,” she pointed to her side of the bed, “and come onto my side of the bed when we happen to be in it at the same time,” her face paled suddenly, realizing what she had done. She cleared her throat. “I will cut off any genitalia you happen to have.”

Sherlock smiled smugly at the threat. No matter how she tried to cow him, he had won this. The feeling of success wouldn’t go down in his chest. He decided that being childish wasn’t boring when it came to this girl. “I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said lowly. He grinned at her, and Luca suddenly realized that she had played right into his hand.  
She pulled up her lip and glowered at him.  
“Make the fucking bed you twat,” she hissed at him, shoving past him even more roughly than before.

Luca made her self breakfast in a rush. If cereal could cower, Luca’s bowl would have by the way she cursed and glared at it.


	7. Adopting

Soon Sherlock’s barely contained smile was too infuriating. Picking up her coat and hastily putting some shoes, she stormed out of the flat, the feeling of wanting to punch something growing by ten times as Sherlock called out after her.  
“Have a nice walk!” He yelled, and she replied by slamming the door.  
As she got out of the flat complex, she shrugged her jacket on, not bothering that her hair wasn’t done, or that she wasn’t wearing any make up.

She wandered aimlessly, glaring at anyone who dared look at her. How someone could make her so thoroughly pissed was lost on her. Luca presumed that it was only one person who could push her buttons, and he enjoyed doing it.   
Luca wondered how the relationship between them was so undulating. Yesterday they were all but cuddling on the couch, yet today he had driven her out of her own home. Luca felt it appropriate to get him back somehow. But what?

She went to the park, enjoying watching two small children pet a cat.  
A thought struck her. Mrs. Hudson had never outlawed pets in the flat, and the thought of owning one hadn’t crossed Luca’s mind, as she dealt with animals everyday.  
Luca grinned, getting up to find the closest RSPCA.

**

Luca grinned as she walked through the doors. To some, pet adoption buildings were sad, but for a vet like herself, Luca knew that these were the final hope for some animals. She had been here before, performing an emergency c-section on a young dog with too many puppies. Smiling at the memory of the small whuffling noises the pups made as all but one stayed alive, and the mother too. As a side thought she wondered if they all found homes.

Homes. Holmes! She reminded herself what she came here for.  
She introduced herself to the receptionist, letting her know about her intentions.   
She walked past all the dogs, ignoring how she longed to take all of them home, going straight to the cat area with pursed lips. It was a shame that she couldn’t, but she knew she was crossing with the line by even thinking about getting a cat.

They had barely lived together for three days and she was contemplating buying a cat. What had this man done to her?  
Peering into all the cages, she wanted to get something that would annoy the detective. Sighing, she got to the end of the cages, not seeing any cat that especially yelled out, ‘I will fuck him off!’ As she turned away, she saw it.  
A huge, fluffy, black tom cat, sitting right at the back of his cage, looking extremely bored. He had piercing green eyes, and it seemed like he was looking down his nose, and he was quite handsome. It was a cat version of the detective.

Luca grinned, kneeling down and calling to it. “Hey kitty,” she cooed, and the cat barely flicked it ears.  
She inspected the paper stuck up, raising an eyebrow. He was neutered, but not named. His story was that he was dropped off at the clinic, no story, but dropped off none the less. The text assured the reader that the cat wasn’t really a cuddler, but if he warmed up to you, he was lovely, and that he knew to use a litter-box.

That was a deciding sentence actually. She didn’t have time to toilet train a kitten. She practically skipped to the nearest helper, asking if she could buy the tom. The volunteer nodded, but before the kid opened it Luca bought a cat cage, a litter tray, a bag of food. She was going to be prepared. Filling in the forms, she was ecstatic when they lent her the key to his cage. A name was already forming in her mind. Also buying a collar, she pocketed it. ‘This is creepy you should stop what you’re doing!’ screamed a voice in Luca’s mind. ‘Why are you getting a cat just like him that’s obsessive!’ Luca pushed those thoughts down.

She opened up the cage and sat at the entrance, and the cat lithely jumped from his perch to stalk forward slowly. He stretched, not letting his bright eyes stray from this new person. Luca held out her hand, letting the cat sniff, and she leaned to the side when the cat moved like he was going to bolt. Leaving her hand out, she murmured quietly, “How do you like the name Shirley?” she asked the cat, and he flicked his ears.

Though it was a girl’s name, it had a certain, ring to it.  
Eventually, the cat decided it wasn’t in danger, and he padded up next to the woman, who cautiously picked him up and placed him in the cage. His coat was soft, and Luca was pleased with her choice. Though she was suddenly worried at how far she would go to annoy her new flat mate. She shook her head, knowing that she had been planning to get a cat for a long time. She convinced herself that she had been planning on buying a new cat for a long time.

Shirley didn’t like the cage, but the walk home wasn’t long, so once Luca had sorted everything out, (more papers, essential cat things), and she had a volunteer balance everything on top of the cage, she walked briskly home, hoping to god that no one would knock her over.  
She heard a familiar voice call to her from a cab. “Luca, what the hell are you up to?!”

Luca grinned. “Get out of the fucking cab John, and come give me a hand!” She moved her head slowly over all of her stuff, smiling as the car pulled to the curb and John paid the man.  
Shaking his head at her, John took the bag of cat food, and the litter tray and cat litter, balancing the bags in it.  
John shook his head at his friend. “What in the world are doing?”  
As if to reply instead, Shirley gave a mournful yowl. John leant his head in, eye widening. “You bought a cat?”

Luca grinned. “I sure did. He seemed a perfect mirror to your special detective.”  
John’s expression dropped slightly. “Yeah, I hadn’t heard from either of you, so I thought I might check on you,” he explained, and Luca nodded, dodging a huge person not looking where they were going.  
As the cat meowed, John shook his head again. “I can’t believe you bought a cat. I don’t think Sherlock will like it.”  
“Exactly,” Luca said with an eyebrow wiggle, and John gaped at her.

“You got a cat to spite him?” her friend asked, slowing down as the finally reached the flat complex.  
Luca nodded, opening the door with a careful hand, balancing the cage on her arms, wondering how heavy the cat actually was.  
“And I’ve wanted a cat for ages,” she added, but John scoffed and rolled his eyes in a friendly way before smiling again in disbelief.

“You have the weirdest impulses,” he muttered under his breath, and Luca would have kicked his leg if she wasn’t rushing up the flight of stairs, arms suddenly aching.  
Thanking whatever gods there were, the door was slightly open. She nudged it open, almost relieved Sherlock wasn’t home. Luca put the cage on the floor, glancing at the note left on the table.  
In messy scrawl it said ‘Gone out ~SH’. Luca raised her eyebrows, and John came up behind her to look at the paper.

“How considerate of him…” John said slowly, looking at his old home. “Where do you want this stuff?” John asked, looking at from between the bags. Luca thought for a second.   
“In the bathroom,” she decided. “I’ll sort him out while you make us some drinks okay?” she offered to her friend lightly, and John nodded.   
Picking up the cat cage, Luca followed him, only letting out the cat once John had closed the bathroom door behind him.


	8. Gossiping

Shirley settled into the pillow Luca had brought into the bathroom, sniffing the twin bowls with water and food in them with disinterest, looking at Luca before mreowing. He settled onto the pillow, watching Luca as she checked over everything, setting the litter tray up, and scratching his head with his back foot before going to the kitchen. Shirley looked like the kind of cat who wouldn’t kick up a fuss, but Luca wanted to make sure he was comfortable.

When Luca got downstairs, John was sitting at the kitchen table watching his tea. Luca sat across from him, and she started talking before John could say anything.  
“Sherlock is a stubborn prick, and I think since he got here I’ve thought of about fifty ways to kill him,” she explained, face serious for two seconds, but grinning at John’s expression. John returned the smile, running his hand through his hair.  
“Thank god you haven’t,” he said, almost tiredly.

Luca covered her friends hand in the middle of the table with her own hand. “You cashed in the favor. I don’t think I will kill him,” she paused, “just yet.”   
John smirked at that, leaving his hand where it was. “Yes well, I don’t think he’ll get that bad.”   
Luca raised her eyebrows, about to say that he might get that bad, but John silenced her with a look. Luca huffed. “Enough of your detective then,” Luca said, flicking each of John’s fingers absently. “You didn’t even catch up when you dropped him off.” Luca remembered, removing her hand to place it on her chest in mock offence.

John nodded. “Well I had a wife to get back to,” he explained, tapping a finger on the table top. Luca grinned at him, raising her eyebrows suggestively.  
“Bom shikca wowo,” she sung, and John felt a small heat rise in his cheeks, knowing full well Luca teased him to get that very reaction. Luca continued, chuckling. “So obviously married life is treating you well Johnny,” she smiled at him, and the two of them started chatting easily.

Luca had missed this, the proper awkward silly John. When Sherlock was dead, he always seemed to have a darker undertone, and though it wasn’t much, Luca noticed it when it was gone.  
He seemed to smile a little easier, and the way he looked at the familiar surroundings showed he was finally alright with being here.  
After ten minutes, they were back on the subject of relationships again.

“So you’re still horrendously single then?” John assumed, taking up the two empty mugs to the sink. Luca would have stopped him from doing so, but that’s just what John did.  
“I actually have a harem of men in my bedroom, in which my new flat mate regularly joins in on our huge orgies,” Luca said casually, and John scoffed as he sat back down.

“I would believe it, except Sherlock isn’t into that kind of stuff,” John said, folding his hands in front of him.  
Luca watched him apprehensively. “You mean he’s not gay?” she asked, disbelief lacing her tone.  
John shook his head. “He’s not straight either. He told me once that he was married to his work,” he explained, looking intently at Luca for her reaction.  
“Asexual…” she said slowly, rolling the word over in her mouth. After a second, she nodded. “Fits him perfectly.”

A sneaky thought crept into her mind as John’s phone buzzed. ‘You’ve never kissed an asexual before…’ she mused.  
She’d kissed pansexuals, bisexuals, homosexuals and heterosexuals (guys and girls of all the options), but never someone who didn’t actively search out a relationship. Her mind was chiding itself as the thoughts were forming. ‘It’s not like you get an award for kissing all sexualities’, and ‘You only tried this kind of stuff at university’, came up a lot, and Luca ended up listening to them. It’s not like she’s get a chance to kiss Sherlock anyways.

Luca smiled as John stood up slowly, pocketing his phone. “Mary wants me to come home and rearrange furniture,” he explained, and Luca got up, enveloping John in a hug. As he pulled away, Luca laughed.   
“She’s got you so whipped,” Luca elaborated, as they headed towards the door.  
John sputtered, and she pushed him out the door, John blushing even more as she imitated a whip noise after him.  
“See ya John!” She called, and grinned as he sent her some choice curses in reply.

She went to go check on Shirly, deciding he was calm enough to take him into the lounge. The fluff ball curled up easily in her arms, obscuring her vision, so she didn’t see the ruffled detective until he cleared his throat.


	9. Living

Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit.   
“Heeey Sherlock,” Luca greeted, lowering her arms so she could look over the cat at him. Sherlock tilted his head, looking at the cat with a gleam in his eye. He didn’t reply.  
“I bought a cat,” Luca said, wondering if it would be unethical to return it if Sherlock got really annoyed.  
She winced when he replied. “I can see that,” he drawled, raising an eyebrow at Luca’s obvious distress.

“What I can’t see yet is why,” he added, ruffling his already messed up hair. She went to say something but Sherlock cut over her.  
“We fought this morning so you probably bought it on a whim thinking it would annoy me back. Yes you did, I can tell by the way you flinched. What you didn’t take into account is that a cat costs over six thousand dollars in its life time, or maybe I didn’t have a cat because I was allergic.”  
Luca tensed.

“Luckily, I am not,” and Luca relaxed, “I happen to neither feel strongly for or against the thought of owning an animal. Care to elaborate?”  
Luca felt like a deer in headlights. The moods switched so quickly in this flat she felt like she would get whiplash from it all.  
“Cats are nice, companions when you are all alone,” she tried, and Sherlock rolled his eyes.

“You’re not alone though, seeing as you work with them all the time, and now you have a flat mate. You didn’t have a cat before, and so the only reason you got it was to spite me it seems. But as soon as I come home you wonder why you actually did.” Sherlock spoke quickly, eyes piercing.  
“Well since you’re not minded by it I guess I shouldn’t have to worry should I?” Luca snapped back, finally getting sick of his tone and sitting on the couch. Shirley curled up on her lap almost instantly.

“And,” she continued, “I also thought you would like to see what you were like in animal form. Because this cat glared at me from its cage and funnily enough I thought of you, because you’re an arse.”  
Sherlock looked at her flatly. “It’s not called Sherlock I hope,” he said dryly.   
Feeling slightly more confident, she replied. “No, of course not, Sherlock is a terrible name.” Sherlock frowned slightly at that.

“His name is Shirley,” she grinned, and Sherlock rolled his eyes and went into the kitchen.  
Luca looked down at the animal, scratching his head while thinking.  
This was a crazy situation. They were fighting, then not, then fighting again.  
Luca sighed, and Shirley began purring, oblivious to the human matters going on around him.

*

It was fine between them for a while, nothing extremely interesting happening. Sherlock had only threatened to use Shirley as an experiment twice over the course of the month, and that was only when the fluff ball slept on his chair.  
Though, sleeping was slightly awkward for the first week or two, Sherlock choosing to brave the couch for the first couple of days before getting so worn out he slept in the bed.

They compromised the awkwardness by not looking at each other, rolling on their sides so they faced away from one another.  
Soon life in 221b was pretty much running on a schedule. Work days Luca would get up, breakfast, work, home, dinner, bed. Then it would repeat, with slight jibes and sharp words pointed at one another every once and a while.

Sherlock on the other hand, was slightly more erratic. Cases came and went, most of them blindingly boring, but John had started coming along again so it was slightly better.  
But eventually, about a month and a half after joining Luca in 221b, boredom had made it impossible to sleep, so at four a.m. Sherlock did something to get rid of it.

He found his gun and shot the wall.

Shirley leapt off the bed and ran under it, while Luca fell out, flinching at the loud noises. She ran downstairs with a small bat she hid behind the door, prepared to whack a murderer in the face with it.  
Instead Sherlock was sitting on his couch with his eyes closed, gun cradled against his chest.  
Luca threw the bat to the floor, making Sherlock open his eyes slowly and focus on her face.

“What. The fuck Sherlock?” she asked slowly, pinching the bridge of her nose, but not letting her eyes leave the weapon.  
“Bored,” is all the reply she got.  
“Oh fuck me,” Luca said under her breath, rolling her eyes. “I thought you were being murdered,” she huffed, taking a step forward and falling tiredly onto the chair across from him.

“Well I am not, so don’t fret,” Sherlock said, flicking the pistol around his fingers expertly.   
“Believe me, Sherlock, when I say that I wasn’t fretting too much,” Luca scoffed, pursing her lips as Sherlock frowned, lifting the gun up and examining the side.  
She stood up suddenly, holding out her hand. “Can I please have the gun; I don’t want you welding it anymore.” She asked, patiently, with the other hand on her hip.

“I am not uncomfortable with it,” Sherlock protested.  
“Oh but I am, so give me the gun,” Luca repeated, thinking that she might be able to wrestle it off him if she wasn’t afraid of getting shot herself.  
Sherlock shook his head stubbornly, and Luca sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I am giving you a choice,” she ended up saying slowly. “You give me the gun, or you come upstairs and sleep.”  
Luca decided that this was a win-win for her, noticing the rings under Sherlock’s eyes. And a tired Sherlock was a tetchy Sherlock.  
Sherlock frowned, not liking how Luca was talking to him like he was a child.  
“Sleeping is boring too,” he stated, glaring lightly at the woman standing over him.

“Too bad,” she replied, and her tone told Sherlock that this was not debatable.  
Sherlock sighed, putting the gun in its normal draw and following Luca up to their room.

They got into the same bed with less awkwardness than either of them wanted to admit.


	10. Walking

A couple of days after the gun incident, Luca couldn’t sleep. Sherlock wasn’t in the bed again, and no matter how relaxed Luca got she couldn’t switch off. She tried so hard, work tomorrow, but she sleep. Not at all. Sighing, she sat up. Might as well make herself a lemon drink then. Walking downstairs with too much vigor for two in the morning, Luca wasn’t surprised to see Sherlock sitting up in the lounge, eyes on the kitchen.

“I was wondering how long it would take you to come downstairs.” He stated, not even greeting her. “You have a very loud sigh, has anyone ever told you that?”  
Not dignifying him with a response, Luca made her self a cup, absent mindedly making Sherlock a tea. Handing it to him, she sat across from him, knee jigging quickly. She took a sip, huffing. It wasn’t often she had sleepless nights, and she knew it would be tiring at work in the morning.

Focusing on her leg, she stood up. “Get changed Sherlock,” she said, wandering up stairs, getting into some proper clothes. She heard Sherlock walk past her room. Though he slept here, he kept all his belongings in John’s old room.  
He was downstairs before anyway, pacing slowly, pivoting to face her.  
“A walk I assume, due to your energy, and you don’t want to be in London early in the morning by yourself, so I have to come to scare off any rapists?” he told her, opening the door for her before she could speak.

“To the tee,” Luca responded, almost running down the stairs. When energy showed itself at night Luca always wanted to go walking, but due to self preservation, she never did. Now she had a tall mad man to protect her.  
She opened the front door quietly for Sherlock, grinning at him.  
They got out onto the street, and Luca took a breath. The cool air filled her lungs, tingeing her cheeks with color.  
The two began walking with out a word. There hands swung between them casually, and Sherlock’s long strides caused Luca to walk at quite a brisk pace to keep up with him.

They walked for about fifteen minutes, Sherlock taking lead. Luca followed wordlessly, taking in night time London.  
The streets were occupied by the odd cab, a few shady figures lurking in the shadows. Luca could swear she heard yelling in the distance. About to start around the block to head home, Luca felt Sherlock’s hand on her wrist. The yelling became steadily louder, and a large group of young men rounded the corner first, completely wasted. Sherlock drew up to full height, turning Luca around quickly. This group was trouble.

A call came from behind them. “Don’t take your bitch aw’y fromus!” it yelled, and Luca narrowed her eyes slightly.  
A chorus of other words came along with it.  
“Oh what I coul’ do to ‘er!”  
“Wha’ a pretty thing that!”  
“Slow down sweet I coul’ show you a good time!”

She felt her heart rate begin to speed up, causing her feet to go more quickly too. Sherlock stopped her.  
“Don’t show them you’re frightened, don’t worry. I came along for a reason,” he murmured in her ear, and his quiet voice calmed her slightly.

What an unusual relationship they had.

Luca nodded tightly. She took a series of deep breaths, linking her arm with Sherlock’s. It was followed by some sharp wolf whistles, and she felt Luca tense.  
Sherlock spoke from above her.  
“When we round the next corner, I suggest that you run,” he said somewhat casually. Even he couldn’t take on a pack of drunkards.

Luca frowned. She couldn’t keep up with him. Despite this fact, she did break into a run as soon as they got around the corner, and unconsciously she grabbed Sherlock’s hand, using his momentum to pull her along.  
It took half as long to get back to Baker Street, the cat calls fading into nothing after while.  
As they got to the door, Sherlock opened it, only slightly panting.  
Luca on the other hand, was dying.

She practically crawled up the stairs, waiting the top for Sherlock to open that door too.  
When it was, she felt like the best measure to calm the pounding in her head would be to put her head between her knees. She did, and she could practically her Sherlock’s smirk.  
“You haven’t run in a while,” he told her, and Luca didn’t bother snapping at him. This kind of thing is just what he did.

“Yeah,’ she replied, slowly getting up after a moment. She paused as she noticed a hand, and she let it help her up.  
She smiled at Sherlock, feeling like the energy she had previously ebbing away. Her eyelids drooped, but she was very aware that she was quite close to Sherlock’s body.  
Her addled mind brought up a thought. ‘You haven’t kissed an asexual before,” it told her, and suddenly, before she could talk herself out of it, she pulled his head down to press her lips to his, pressing roughly against him.

It was short, and Luca pulled her face away, grinning at Sherlock’s confused face. He hadn’t expected that.  
Tilting her head slightly, she asked the first question that came to her mind.  
“Anything?”   
Sherlock frowned, mind whirring. “Why did you do that?”  
Luca shrugged. “Bucket list thing,” she replied vaguely. She repeated herself.

“Anything, in there,” she gestured to his head, “or there?” she said, nodding to a lower place, blushing slightly.  
Sherlock shook his head, pulling his shoulders back.   
Luca shrugged again, yawning. “Whatever,” she said quietly, shuffling away. She couldn’t lie to herself, the kiss was surprisingly sweet, and it made her heart race, though it had been less than a second.  
She climbed into bed, clothes still on. Maybe she should run around to get tired more often.

Downstairs, Sherlock had sat down, hands on his chin.  
Though Luca couldn’t lie to herself, Sherlock could…


	11. Drinking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry loves :( hiatus coming bc I'm lazy and have a habit of RPing instead of writing all myself, so when I have the balls to keep writing I will so i love you all tbh xox

It didn’t take long for it to get to Luca’s holiday. Two weeks, of pure, perfect, free time, to do whatever she wished when she wanted.  
Luca burst through the flat door, and Sherlock looked up as she threw her bags on the ground. “We’re going drinking baby,” she growled, grinning.  
The kiss they had shared was all but forgotten.

“Have I told you that I’m not a big drinker?” Sherlock drawled, but his lips were tugging up slightly.  
Luca pouted dramatically, skipping across the room to whine like a little kid. “But Sheeeerlooock, it’s the first day of the holidaaays, let’s start it off with a bang!” she stomped her foot, just as a disinterested Sherly padded in. Spinning, Luca picked him up.

“Come on Sherlock, even I want you to have a drink with Luca,” Luca made her voice go up an octave as she hid her head behind Sherly’s body.  
She heard Sherlock scoff, and she looked over the cat to grin animatedly at him.  
“It’s hard to believe you’re twenty-five,” he chuckled, getting up off the couch. “I’ll go get some better clothes on,” he sighed, knowing that arguing was fruitless.

“Aww yisss,” Luca grinned, racing past Sherlock to her room. She chose a tight black dress, which was probably an inch too short, but as Luca quickly tied her hair up. It was messy, with strands hanging out, and the make-up was dark smoky eyes with a bright red lipstick. This was the first time she had dragged Sherlock somewhere, and she was happy how easily he had caved. It seemed like it was out of character for him, but she wasn’t complaining, and when Sherlock came out wearing a tight purple shirt with dress pants, she definitely wasn’t complaining.

She blushed only slightly when Sherlock looked at her with a raised brow, casually running his eyes over her provocative outfit. Before he could even comment she defended herself.  
“I’m dressing like this for the fun of looking sexy,” she snapped, and Sherlock sniffed, “and not to impress you, if that was what your look was suggesting.” Luca squared her shoulders, looking at Sherlock with a jutted chin.

“Alright,” Sherlock replied plainly, opening the door with a straight face. Luca bound out, heels clicking as she ran down the stairs. She opened the front door, hailing a cab and sliding into the back seat before Sherlock had even got out the door.   
“The prospect of alcohol has changed you,” Sherlock stated as he joined the back seat, “You actually seem to be happy.”

Luca slapped his arm playfully, telling the cabbie her favorite club. Sherlock screwed up his face. “I’m only doing this because John would personally kill me if something happened to you.”  
“Yeah well thanks,” Luca replied absently, jigging her leg.  
“You’re going to get harassed,” Sherlock said, noticing how the end off her dress was riding up with disinterest.  
Luca laughed. “Not with someone as surly as you on my arm,” she said, taking twenty quid and throwing it at the cabbie.

She all but ran up to the man standing at the doorway, smiling and waving as he nodded with a smirk. He frowned at Sherlock, calling out. “He’s too tall for your usual escapade! I’d drop ‘im!  
Luca laughed, Sherlock frowning as a few of the people in line wolf-whistled at him. They entered the club, lights flashing and illuminating Sherlock’s pale face.   
“I have come here a lot!” Luca yells to him over the thumping bass.

“You’re twenty five not nineteen!” Sherlock yells back, getting annoyed as the child-woman dragged him through the pulsing bodies on the flashing floor. It smelt to Sherlock like sweat, hormones and alcohol. He screwed his face, clenching his fists as his mind was overwhelmed by new information. He tried to block it out as Luca ordered herself a strong martini, the color of glacier ice, and Sherlock a bright pink one.  
She turned back to him, frowning at his pained expression.

“You alright?!” She called to him, and Sherlock shook his head softly, taking small breaths in through his nose.  
Luca nudged his knee with her heeled foot, and Sherlock opened his eyes, immediately following Luca as she turned in the opposite direction. Thinking he might lose her in the crowd, he put a hand on her bare back. That meant the noise could enter one side of his head, and it was somewhat disorienting for his already muddled mind. 

Suddenly the noise was gone, as were the bodies. Sherlock blinked. Luca was walking down a long hall, leaving the seething mass of young people behind.  
Sherlock stepped into a large quiet room covered in different shades of red. There was still the quiet song playing, but the bass was turned down extremely, and there were older looking young people in the room, some locked in embraces, some stumbling around and laughing. The atmosphere was extremely different.

“This is where the over twenties hang out,” Luca said, finding an empty booth at the corner of the room and gesturing to a waiter as she slid into the back of it. He came over, and Luca ordered everything off the list.  
Sherlock raised an eyebrow, not touching the pink drink Luca had placed in front of him. Luca smiled over her glass. “I once treated an ill Devon Rex, and then I made a deal with owner after I had found out he owned the place.” She took a small sip, smiling slightly. “Free pass around here if I treat his gross bald cat free treatment.”  
Sherlock chuckled, watching as a rainbow of drinks were placed in front of the grinning woman.

She hummed contentedly.  
“Good deal then,” Sherlock said as Luca dipped a finger in each, smiling or screwing up her face as she ordered them in a way Sherlock quickly figured out. Nicest last in line, by the smile for the green one with the umbrella, dark one at start. Too tart?   
“Speaking of good deals, how long do you pay rent for? I think the Chinese I paid for ran out two months ago,” Luca picked up the dark colored drink, downing it in one go, gagging slightly and placing it down again with efficiency of the hand.

“I get a discount, its fine for me to keep paying,” Sherlock replied, watching her take a tentative sip of the blue one placed next. Sherlock’s one was still in front of him. “Have you been an alcoholic before?” he asked, watching with interest as she twirled the glass expertly between her fingers. He had never seen her handling alcohol before, and the way she was able to consume such strong drinks when she barely touched coffee was interesting.   
“I dabbled,” came the reply shortly after. She pursed her lips, making a hissing noise through her teeth as she downed a sickly orange one. At the rate she was going Sherlock assumed she would be drunk in half an hour tops.

“Let’s make a game out of this,” Luca said thickly, clearing her throat with a cough.  
Sherlock smiled. Games were fun.


	12. Gaming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance for Luca's embarrassing behavior.

Luca explained the rules of the game. “It’s simple,” she said with a slightly evil smile. “You take a drink,” she pointed to the drinks, “all of it, then ask a question. It’s a race. And you have to answer honestly.”   
Sherlock nodded, cracking his knuckles to see Luca smile. Her hand darted out, and she tipped her head up, swallowing a sickly green mix. “What’s your favorite color?” she asked plainly, starting off easily.

Sherlock raised his eyebrows. “I like red; it’s a passionate color, with a lot of emotion.” He answered.   
‘The color of blood,’ Luca added in her mind. The detective went to grab a drink, but Luca was there first, sculling one down with a wink. “You’ll have to be quicker than that sweet,” she grinned, and Sherlock sighed. “Are you a virgin?” she asked, cheeks flushing prettily.  
Sherlock scoffed. “Of course not. University deflowered me in more ways than one.”

Luca giggled, putting a hand over her mouth and wondering if it meant Sherlock lost more than one type of sexual virginity. As she was distracted, Sherlock’s hand shot out, grabbing a dark red martini and tipping it down his throat. The detective assumed he would be able to hold his alcohol better than Luca, who seemed to be already losing it.  
Sherlock paused for a second before choosing a question. “Why did you buy the cat?” he asked plainly, knowing he would get the truth now. That was the rules.

Luca went even darker. “I thought you were being annoying so I thought if I bought a cat you’d get really annoyed back so then we’d be even or something,” she rushed out, reaching out for the next drink as soon as the words were out. She downed it, and blinked a few times as her vision blurred periodically.  
“Where were when you were dead?” she asked, waving her hand in a vague gesture. Sherlock noticed it, and frowned. At this rate, they wouldn’t be out for very long, and she might even have to have her stomach pumped.

“I was overseas, destroying the rest of Moriarty’s web, so they wouldn’t come and kill the people I love,” the detective replied plainly, and Luca let out an “Awwww, that’s actually cute. It was for John all along!” She put her elbows on the table, balancing her chin on her hands, eyes shining. Sherlock was going to take another drink, but Luca’s chin slipped and knocked heaps of them over. Sherlock sighed. They’d been here for less than half and hour.  
“Right,” he snapped, getting out of his side of the booth and stalking over to the side where Luca was sitting. “This was a terrible idea,” he growled through his teeth as he picked Luca up from under the arms.

“We haven’t even started getting to the good part,” Luca protested, but she no longer possessed the motor skills to get away.  
“Too bad,” Sherlock replied tersely, “I will not let you deteriorate any longer.”  
Luca moaned as Sherlock pulled her quickly back through the pounding bass music.  
“Bye Leroy!” She called to the big man at the entrance, who snickered at her.   
“Take care!” the big man replied, chuckling.

Sherlock hailed a cab, pulling Luca onto his lap, who giggled and began stroking Sherlock’s face. Sherlock paid the cabbie as he drove, so when they got home Sherlock could drag Luca out of the cab and up to the flat. “You’re such a light weight,” Sherlock hissed as Luca leant into his side. Sherlock got the door open, wrapping an arm around the woman’s waist. If he wasn’t doing this for John, Sherlock would have probably let Luca find her way up the stairs herself.

Sherlock sighed as Luca stumbled her way back and forth. This was impossible. After four minutes thirty six seconds of making their way up the seventeen stairs, Sherlock was about to create a murder right here and now. Drunk people were infuriating. If their sober selves were slow, their drunk selves barely moved at all.   
Luca’s head was spinning crazily. She was leaning into the tall man. He was keeping her safe. How nice of him. He’d done that before, he’d stopped the scary men.

Luca decided that since she had thanked him last time for stopping the scary men, she should probably thank him again for helping her while she was drunk. They got into the lounge, and Luca pulled Sherlock down, pressing a rough kiss to his lips. “It’s a thank you,” she explained, pulling away and swaying on the spot. She would have a sore head tomorrow, she decided. Sherlock rolled his eyes, slightly sickened but flattered by Luca’s attentions. They didn’t count, obviously, as she was so very out of it, but he didn’t stop her when she pulled herself forward again. 

Why wasn’t he stopping her, he should be, he didn’t even like her, he didn’t like anyone like that, but her lips were soft and his transport enjoyed it- no. Sherlock pushed her off, eyes sharp. “I appreciate it,” Sherlock said in a flat tone.  
Luca frowned. For a second it seemed like the detective was reciprocating. Of course he wasn’t, he was asexual. But why didn’t he? “You’re annoying,” Luca said in a childish tone, leaning forward into Sherlock’s chest. In an impulse, she grabbed the front of his trousers, and she pulled away with another annoyed look.

“You’re not even half-hard,” she stated, offended. She flicked her hair clumsily, staggering as she turned away, but regaining her balance. She waltzed up to her room, falling onto her bed with a huff. This night had been a disaster.   
Sherlock shook his head, watching the woman leave with a small amount of disdain. Drunk people were infuriating.


	13. Dreaming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey it's a wild filler chapter. I had fun writing this one please enjoy reading it.  
> If you don't I will hunt you down
> 
> 0-0 I will

Sherlock had come back up to me. I had stalked back to the room but he had followed me. Of course he had, I was irresistible.

“I knew John was lying,” I purred, as Sherlock crawled up the bed towards me, that sexy purple top already half open.

“About what?” that baritone rumbled, now straddling my body, dwarfing me with his tall lithe frame.

“Asexuality,” I breathed, and I was suddenly in my underwear. How unusual. Not that either of us minded.

 

Sherlock laughed. It was a gorgeous noise and it went straight through my chest, making me shiver.

“Your voice is so sexy,” I seemed to say of my own accord, and Sherlock laughed again, lowering himself onto me with a precision only capable with a mind as brilliant as his.

“I could say the same thing about your face,” he replied when most of his weight was balanced on my hips. Deep in the recesses of my mind I wanted to slap him, but right at this moment all I wanted to do was giggle, which I did.

“Thank you,” I said once I had calmed down.

 

Sherlock didn’t reply to that with words. He came down and pressed his gorgeous lips to mine. They were surprisingly soft, like they had been downstairs. My mouth opened, and he delved his tongue into my mouth, tracing the insides of my teeth, sliding over easily, but it was like he was calculating everything. Analyzing.

I sputtered slightly, but though I should have needed to catch my breath, I seemed to be able to breath around the trap that was Sherlock’s angel lips.

 

His hand was trailing down my collar, and he removed his lips to trail them along my jaw. The kisses were feather light, careful, and his hand was at my hip, where he squeezed lightly. I let out a small moan, and Sherlock’s lips stopped to grin slightly. His hands were continuing their adventure, and my whole body was aching for them to reach their final destination already. Why did he keep teasing?!

His fingers toyed with the band of my… wait… sexy black lace? Okay yup sure, his hands toyed with my new sexy black lace panties which I now happened to own.

“Hurry up,” I wanted to snap, but Sherlock’s hands were not doing as I wanted.

 

As I felt his teeth nip me, what I could see was starting to blur, spin, twist…

 

****

 

Luca woke up gripping the sheets of the bed, gasping. Her head was aching unpleasantly, but not too badly. There was no Sherlock on top of her, no sexy lace.

“Damn,” she whispered, but even that had made her head throb. She wanted to cover her face with a pillow stay sleeping, but her mouth felt furry and gross and she needed something to drink immediately that wasn’t alcoholic.

Luca rolled onto her side, crawling out of bed until her toes touched the carpet. She stood slowly, finding her dressing gown and wrapping it around herself.

 

Her make up was still on, her hair still fancy and done up. Luca yawned hugely, scuffing her feet as she wandered down to the kitchen, letting out a groan when she saw the time on the microwave. “Of course it’s only three am, typical.” The blond continued to grumble and moan as she started to make cocoa. She got about half way through the composition process when she heard a soft cough behind her.

She whirled, then winced.

 

“Jesus Sherlock do you want to give me a heart attack?” She whispered, holding her head and the spoon out as if she was going to use it as a weapon.

The detective laughed softly, and without any provocation, Luca blushed. He would definitely see that.

“Oh no, I just wanted to let you know I was here,” he rumbled, and Luca pursed her lips.

She waited two seconds, then shrugged. “Alright.” She turned back to her drink making, not turning back to the man until her drink was in her hands and cheeks were back to a normal color.

 

He couldn’t know about the dream, he doesn’t know about the dream, he can’t know-

“So am I a good lover?”

 

Luca choked on her first gulp of cocoa, some of the powder going up her nose as she coughed. Once her airways were clear, she rubbed her head.

“What?” She asked, feigning ignorance.

Sherlock laughed at her openly now, as if completely amused by her mussed hair, flustered appearance and obvious discomfort.

 

“We sleep in the same bed. When you started moaning my name I had a pretty good idea what was going on in your mind.” Sherlock looked amused still, though did his cheeks color? Maybe it was just the light.

“What my brain makes up is none of your business,” Luca snapped, holding her mug to her chest as if she needed to protect it.

Sherlock raised a brow. “I just need to make sure you won’t jump me while I sleep,” he said in a completely innocent tone.

 

Luca wanted to bark a laugh, but her head was aching enough already. She squared her shoulders, and stalked past him, pausing for only a second when Sherlock spoke again.

 

“At least let me know if I was good?”

 

Luca decided that yelling and making her headache worse was worth it. 

“You were too afraid to even get that far you arse!”

 

 


	14. Remembering

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YO yes hello its a chapter im so sorry i thought nobody would miss this OCxSherlock but someone commented and I couldn't not post a chapter so I wrote one up and here it is? Please enjoy I love you all and I hope you have a good day oxoxo
> 
> ps this is dedicated to Elise C bc she's lovely and I want her to know she motivated me to write this chapteeerr
> 
> pps happy apocalypse day everyone stay away from anyone infected with croatoan!!!!!!

 

Sherlock was in the lounge, making an evidence board for the new case Lestrade had given him. It was about a six, really, not very interesting at all, but he hadn’t really wanted to focus too much on the fact that his room mate had had a sex dream about him. He’d only want to dissect it, not because the feelings were reciprocated, but more because any feelings in a flat were a nuisance and pointless. So, while Sherlock pieced together that it was most likely the sister-in-law for an idiotic reason, Luca was pacing her bedroom, almost yelling into her phone.

 

The dream had been pushed to the back of her mind, the week been too busy and absolutely annoying to even think about. “John, for Christ’s sake, I told you last year that I’m not going to this bloody memorial, I’m on holiday now, I will not bring my day down like that to please someone who won’t notice because they’re dead.” She snarled, pacing her room like a caged tiger. The voice on the other end of the line sighed.

“Don’t be an idiot, you know it was at the first that we met, you can’t just not come.”

“I can, and I will.” And Luca hung up, almost throwing the phone onto the floor but instead lobbing it onto the bed so it didn’t break.

 

She crossed her arms, willing the tears to not cross her eyes. It’d been over twenty five years for Christ’s sake; she shouldn’t still be upset about it.

Her room suddenly felt a very bit crowded, with all her thoughts in her head, and she forced a fake smile into place, going downstairs and flopping onto the couch, looking at the wall her flat mate had put up.

“Do you wanna go out for a walk or something, get out of the house?” she asked cheerily, throat still slightly thick but almost completely clear.

 

Sherlock didn’t turn, but instead peered at the paper in his hand, before humming his approval and pinning off to the side of his visual mind map. Luca was insistent though, and when she cleared her throat Sherlock huffed. “Boring,” he drawled, picking up the next piece of evidence. “I will not be a source of distraction for you. Can’t you see I’m doing something?” He added exasperatedly, turning to the box.

 

Luca crossed her arms, rolling her head back. “But it’s boring in here too, Sherlock. Be a good sport and be a distraction.”

Sherlock scowled. “Create a day dream with me in it,” he grumbled, picking up the next piece, and Luca laughed dryly.

“Oh, ha hah, good one, how long did it take for you to make that up?” The woman asked rhetorically, and Sherlock couldn’t be bothered replying.

 

Luca narrowed her eyes. “Do you not care for me at all? For my well being?” She asked, and Sherlock turned to her, eyes flashing.

“I know that the day of your father’s death can sometimes be a bit strenuous, but please, do not try and rope me into a pity party and go find John,” he snapped, and Luca’s eyes widened. She looked extremely taken aback, though she shouldn’t really have been surprised.

“How- how did you…?”

 

Sherlock tutted, annoyed. “Today is the day the Piper Alpha oil rig exploded twenty six years ago, and that John’s father died on that rig. When I heard you shrieking like a banshee upstairs I heard every word. It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out, and so I did, now can you please _let me be_?”

Luca gritted her teeth to stop her bottom lip from trembling, eyes welling up once more. “You don’t know anything,” she whispered, standing, her frame shaking, and Sherlock stifled the enormous groan he was so tempted to let out.

 

“Of what I can put together I know that you were about eight when it happened, you met John at the first memorial and have been friends ever since because he helped you in some way. Can I please reiterate that you were eight?”  
Luca rolled her eyes, but the movement caused a tear to roll down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away. “You have no bloody idea,” she repeated, and crossed her arms as Sherlock took a few steps forward, leaving his mind map momentarily to come closer to his flat mate.

 

“I know that John probably stopped you from going crazy, that a favor you owed him was created because of that day, and that favor was used to let me stay with you, and right at this moment you’re grinding on my nerves, so I wish that day hadn’t happened. I know that, and I also know you had a sex dream about me, and you’re slightly uncomfortable by my presence still, even though we’ve been living together for a little while now. So that means I can conclude that you don’t loathe me, which means you won’t hate me if I do this-“ Sherlock had barely taken a breath through that entire monologue, and it was cut off by a tight hug around the shorter woman’s shoulders, who tensed considerably.

 

In all honesty it was the most awkward hug she’d ever experienced, but the fact that Sherlock had a slight bit of color on his cheeks when he pulled away was a little bit of a consolation. “I am sorry for your loss, sentiment is a terrible thing, but I _am_ trying to find a murderer. Can you leave me be?” Sherlock asked, persona flicking back quickly to professional.

 

If Luca hadn’t been so confused with all her emotions she would have pieced together that Sherlock had hugged her for his own gain, but she didn’t and instead straightened, clearing her throat and nodding tightly. “Uh- yeah- sure, of course, sorry for bothering you.” She bit her lip momentarily, and hesitated, then nodded, turning tail and leaving, missing the pleased smirk that graced the other’s features.

 

She was too busy looking for Sherly. At least the cat would want to comfort her an cuddle her for the rest of the day.


	15. Cuddling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops a short chapter :/ don't worry friends, we are ending the final straight for the plot I have thought up >:)
> 
> Ah I have made a stucky (Steve x Bucky from the MCU) prompt blog. Go check it out of that's your thing and send things in :3 Sorry I've been a bit absent, I've had dog shows on my designated writing days (sidenote: I won a ribbon yissss)  
> It's exam leave now, so I should be consistent maybe probably not

The smell of oil took over my lungs as I started walking over the main bridge. It was overly warm, and under all the darn smell of petrol, there was a sense of salt. Sniffing, I cracked my knuckes, there was work to do. Absently, I thought that I felt slightly out of place, like maybe I should have been somewhere else, but there was no way I could have stayed on that thought for long. The drills were starting up, and I needed to get to the safe zone. On the way to the zone I pulled on my gloves, nodding towards Watson as he wandered past. 

“Afternoon Watson; how’s your boy?” my deep voice rumbled, as we’d been talking about our kids the night previous. Watson shrugged. “Heard from the wife yesterday after our conversation-“ he started, but his words were cut off by the scream of a siren. In unison, Watson and I looked straight at each other. 

I felt a curse form on my lips as we both took off, but the flames of the exploding oil tore up both apart before it could be said.

***

Luca awoke with a gasp, gripping at the sheets to steady herself, and it took her few moments to realize that it wasn’t actually the bed she was gripping, but more an arm. She froze, and forced herself to look up slowly. Sherlock seemed to be still sleeping, and Luca almost gagged. He never slept in the bed, and if he’d been awake he would have realized that she had crawled onto his chest in her feverish nightmare; then gripped him like she was drowning and he was a floatation device. Sherlock was fit, and had it actually been someone she wanted to sleep with she may have woken him up. Instead, it was her controversial detective flat mate who had technically forced upon her. She did not want to wake up in his arms, or for him to wake up with her in his arms. That would only be another thing for him to use against her, and she was sure he would if he were aware of it.

Holding her breath, Luca slowly let go, forcing herself not to let out a sob from her nightmare. It wasn’t one she had often, and she always felt ridiculous for feeling so upset about it. She got away onto her side of the bed, and rolled onto her back, sneaking one leg out when she froze again.

“Leaving so soon?” Sherlock’s deep baritone mumbled, and Luca leaped out of bed, turning and pointing an accusing finger to him.  
“You were awake?!” She asked, arm shaking. Her singlet and pants didn’t seem like enough cover, but Sherlock seemed to be doing fine being completely topless.  
Sherlock rolled his eyes, and sat up, propping himself up on his elbows. “Of course I was, I’ve been awake since you started holding me.” Luca could have sworn she has heard a stifled laugh in his tone.

“Am I a fucking joke to you Sherlock Holmes? Is everything I do a source of amusement?” She asked, fists clenching now.  
Sherlock took in a small breath. “Well your overreaction now is definitely a source of amusement, and the fact that you were- Okay yes. You are an amusing human being.”  
Luca grit her teeth tightly. “So not only do you think I’m a joke you think I’m a drama queen too?”  
Sherlock’s tone dropped slightly when he let out what Luca assumed to be a tired breath.  
“Now you’re just putting words in my mouth.”

Luca almost stomped her foot like an annoyed teenager. She’d woken up frightened and upset, then she’d been plain frightened, and now she was upset again. And angry. It was far too early in the morning to be dealing with Sherlock’s ‘above everyone’, demeanor, and Luca was almost snapped. It was like a switch had flipped. They’d been fine. And now they weren’t.

“I’ll do whatever the fuck I want Sherlock,” she snapped, stepping forward and snatching her pillow off the bed with a frustrated huff. “I am going downstairs. Say one more smart comment and I will punch your teeth in understand?” Then, before Sherlock even had the chance to put himself in the situation where she would have punched his teeth in, she stormed out of the room.

“Keep your fucking room you tosser,” Luca grumbled to herself. Maybe she had overreacted a little, but it had all bee leading up to it hadn’t it, the moment when Sherlock dug his own grave.  
The fact that she heard his chuckle follow her down the stairs was not helping his case at all


	16. Rectifying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so this little guy is little because its setting up for... THE FINAL CHAPTER WHAT
> 
> ... >:) 
> 
> ENJOY XX

Luca hesitated as she went to put the pen on the final line of the paper. She was content at the moment, to a certain degree, and if she signed there was a chance that it could all go down the drain. Again she skimmed over the terms, reading the number over and over and over. It was so much better than here. Letting out a tight breath and only once glancing towards the door, she quickly signed her name. She would send it off tomorrow, and probably never hear or see it ever again.

 

The door to her room opened with a slight creak and Luca hid the paper underneath the closest book, making sure to n arrow her eyes at her guest. Sherlock was wearing an expression akin to almost shame, and he leaned on the doorway, causing Luca to roll her eyes.

“Can I help you?” She asked accusingly, still not over the way Sherlock had treated her the week previously.

 

She heard the little exasperated breath leave Sherlock’s lips, and that annoyed her to no end. “Oh, am I overreacting again am I?” She asked in a venomously pleasant tone, crossing her arms over her chest. Maybe it was a good idea to send that paper away, sooner the better probably. Sherlock sighed again, and waited for a moment, then spoke. “Are you done?” He asked, and Luca huffed, shrugging slightly with a scowl.

 

Sherlock smiled in a plastic way. “You know, I actually came in here to apologize. I recently had a chat with John, and he convinced me that my actions last week probably weren’t the most appropriate.”

Luca opened her mouth, most likely to say, ‘Oh really?’ or, ‘What took you so long?’ But Sherlock cut her off.

“But your reaction, and current reaction, is also unwarranted. So while I misbehaved, you have done also, and because of this, living with each other has become a strain for both of us.”

 

Luca couldn’t disagree with that, and gave a noncommittal shrug. “I guess.” It wasn’t technically agreeing, but it was disagreeing either.

“You are a source of amusement to me, correct, but you are also being entirely generous and kind by letting me live with you even though we have our animosities.” Sherlock straightened and let out a breath, as if this were scripted and he’d been told to pause in that particular place. “If you let me take you out to dinner, just as flat mates-“ He made sure that part of the deal was clear, he didn’t need any misconceptions, “-would you consider that my slate clean?” He asked, falling silent.

 

Luca blinked. She honestly had not been expecting Sherlock to front up and apologize. Well, no, he wasn’t actually apologizing, more offering the olive branch, because Luca had mucked up too. She ran her tongue over her teeth, contemplating, when she nodded suddenly, uncrossing her arms.

 

“Alright,” she agreed, voice less stiff than it had been before. “Take me out for dinner, just as flat mates, and both our slates will b e clean, and we can continue living together as normal.”

At that Sherlock’s brows rose, as if he hadn’t been expecting Luca to admit her own folly. After a moment, he smiled a little though, nodding as well.

 

“You’re schedule is clear from…” Sherlock pretended to think, “Now, onwards. I’m pretty sure I can get us a seat at Angelo’s in fifteen minutes, if you can manage it.” He didn’t give the woman a chance to reply, and disappeared out of the doorway. Luca glanced at the paper under the book and hesitated, deciding she would do it tomorrow, just in case. She left it in that spot though, going immediately to the wardrobe to choose something.

 

The paper could wait until later, she had a flat mate date to get ready for.

 


	17. Leaving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END
> 
> I've been procrastinating this because I've wanted to finish this but also not. Thank you to all of you for sticking with me, and a big thanks to fuchsiagrasshopper, a consistent presence and lovely person. You deserve happiness x
> 
> Again, thank you all and I hope you enjoy this final update xox I'm sorry if this wasn't the ending you were looking forward to 
> 
> ENJOY XX

As soon as Luca saw the envelope she knew what it meant. She was happy Sherlock was out, because as she opened the envelope she felt her eyes prick uncomfortably, but she was smiling and she felt terrible but she didn’t know how she was going to break it to him. She hadn’t even discussed it with him. Most likely he wouldn’t care at all, but maybe he would… Luca wiped her face slowly, looking down as Sherly curled around her legs, and she sighed. “Anything I can do?” She asked the cat, but she didn’t get a reply.

 

***

 

“You’re leaving,” came Sherlock’s baritone as she stacked up the last of her bags, he’d just come through the door and she felt her breath catch, but she composed herself as she straightened, smiling kindly.

“Yeah, I sent off-“

“A job application but you didn’t think you would get it, now you have and you’re leaving and perhaps you were not going to tell me but I knew.”

 

His gaze was icy, and Luca felt like she was a deer in headlights. “Yeah well, I wasn’t sure if you would even-“

“If you’re expecting for me not to bat an eyelid at this, you’re strongly mistaken. While we’re not exactly the closest, you have stayed with me for around six months now, and neither of us are dead. Personally, I would consider you something of a friend; then again, you do not reciprocate, obviously.” His voice didn’t change once as he spoke, and looked almost impassive. If you didn’t hear his words, you’d think he was talking about something mundane like shopping for groceries.

 

Luca spluttered slightly as she struggled for words. “No, you are my friend Sherlock, but you’re right. I didn’t think I’d get it-“

“Were you going to leave with out telling me?”

Luca blinked, and she shook her head slowly. “Of course not, I knew you’d be coming home by now, so that’s why-“

“Don’t lie to me.”

 

Luca let out a huff and threw her hands into the air. “Can you stop interrupting me please?”

Sherlock rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, but pursed his lips, and Luca smiled sourly. “Thank you. Now, I was waiting for you to come home, but I didn’t tell you because, again, I didn’t think I would get it. I didn’t text you when I got the confirmation later either, because you’ve already told me that I can only text you in emergencies…” She trailed off, as Sherlock had shook his head and walked off, leaving Luca on her own in the lounge, staring at the empty space. She swore softly and huffed, shaking her head as she started getting all her things ready to go in a cab.

 

***

 

Luca was unsure as to if Sherlock wanted her to take the cat with her or not. He didn’t have much to do with her, but Luca didn’t want to just take their pet. She’d seen him allowing the cat to sit on his lap from time to time, it would be unfair right? She went to knock on their bedroom door, but she got nothing, so... So she decided to take her with her. Sherly was technically her cat anyway.

 

The blonde was just preparing to take the cat in the cat cage when she heard the familiar clearing of a throat. She looked up tiredly, and raised an eyebrow. Sherlock looked almost upset, which was not only confusing but slightly worrying.

“You’re leaving,” he said for the second time, but now he just sounded resigned and tired.

Luca let out a little sigh, managing a sad little smile. “Yeah, Sherlock, I am.”

 

“And you’re sure there’s nothing I can say that will make you stay?” The brunet said after a moment, causing Luca to widen her eyes in surprise. She hadn’t expected this from him. After a second of silence, she shook her head.

“No, Sherlock, I’m sorry. This job is going to be a big break for me, a nice change of scenery.”

Sherlock stared at his flat mate for a full minute, before sighing loudly. “At least leave the cat. It’ll make the house seem more alive.”

 

Luca didn’t hesitate in putting the cat cage down, even though she loved the cat to pieces. Sherlock probably needed her more than the vet did. “Just no experiments on her,” she teased, and Sherlock smiled wryly.

“Of course not, Mrs. Hudson would kill me if I did, or she’d call you and you’d kill me.”

“You betcha,” Luca agreed, taking a few steps forward to close the gap between them. She held out her hand, smiling softly.

 

Sherlock watched her with a hawk like gaze, eyes on her hand, then took the last two steps in to pull Luca into a hug. She let out a squawk, but laughed and wrapped her arms around his waist. Sherlock held the hug for two seconds too long, but Luca didn’t mind, jumping up to press a careful kiss on his cheek. “I promise to visit,” she said, and Sherlock rolled his eyes.

“Don’t strain yourself.”

 

Luca punched her arm, forcing the pricking in her eyes to go down. “I’ll see you Sherlock,” she reiterated, stepping away and going towards the door, grinning once more before waving slightly and going to the cab downstairs. She climbed in, looking to 221b Baker Street for what was hopefully not going to be the last time.

 

Inside, Sherlock had thrown himself onto the couch, letting Sherly leap into his lap. He stared blankly at her for two moments, remembering a question Luca had asked him months ago, after a sloppy drunken kiss.

 

“ _Anything?_ ” She’d asked, and Sherlock had denied. Now, as he heard the cab pull away, he sighed, a single word falling from his lips.

 

“Yes.”


End file.
